Deep Blue
by Axl Gear
Summary: A strange, aquatic being from space makes a crash landing on Earth. Could this be another addition to the Masaki house? What mysteries could this alien hold?
1. Arrival

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Tenchi Muyo characters, they belong to their creator. I do own all other characters featured in this story.

**Chapter 1: Arrival**

In the dark depths of space, thousands of miles from Earth, a small, sleek ship rocketed past the stars. Its hull was badly damaged and burned. Out of the cracks poured smoke and what appeared to be water. Inside the ship's cockpit sat the pilot, keeping the ship stable and coughing harshly.

"Crap, there's a leak. The water level is dropping fast." There was a loud explosion behind him. "Now the aerator is busted. I need to land this thing fast." The monitor blinked, showing a star map of the nearest planets.

"All of these planets are deserted. Damn it, there has to be some place with moisture. Huh?" The monitor blinked again, showing a planet on the outmost edge of the star map. "The readings say this one has moisture. Whoa, over seventy percent? I guess it's my lucky day." Another explosion rocked the ship. "I just hope I can get there before I suffocate." The pilot typed in the coordinates and began heading for the small blue planet.

Tenchi Masaki awoke to the smell of the breakfast Sasami had prepared. He sat up, stretching and yawning. Tenchi quickly threw on a shirt and some pants before heading downstairs. Sasami had served bacon and eggs this morning. Ryo-Ohki was perched on her shoulder. Grandfather was already eating.

"Good morning Tenchi." Sasami said sweetly as she placed another plate for Tenchi on the table. "You're up later than usual."

"Hey, thanks Sasami. Morning grandpa." Tenchi took a seat and began eating. "I get to sleep in now that it's summer vacation." Grandfather looked over at Tenchi.

"Well then, we'll have to do something about that, Tenchi. We're having morning sessions now, understand?" Tenchi groaned and swallowed another bite.

"Aw come on grandpa. Hey Sasami, where is everyone?" Sasami paused to think for a moment.

"Ayeka went for a walk around the lake, Kiyone and Mihoshi are at work, and Ryoko…" Tenchi nearly choked on his food when two arms wrapped around him.

"Is right here." Ryoko giggled and loosened her hold on Tenchi to give him some air. "Morning Tenchi, sleep well?" Tenchi managed to get his food down and sighed with relief.

"Ryoko, don't surprise me like that, I almost choked. And yeah, I did sleep well." Ryoko smiled. She grabbed a plate and began wolfing down her meal. "I suppose Washu is in her lab."

"I gave her a plate a plate earlier." Sasami said as she sat down at the table. Ryo-Ohki sat in the floor next to her and nibbled on a carrot. "If she doesn't come out of that lab once in a while, she's going to starve to death."

Meanwhile, Washu sat in her lab and typed away at her keyboard. Her empty plate sat on a platform next to the wall. Washu sat in the aquarium portion of her lab. The gigantic species of alien fish swam by her. The aquarium always helped her relax. The gentle beat of the fins and the vibrant colors of the scales could sooth anyone as busy as her.

Washu's typing was interrupted when a window popped up on her screen. On it was a damaged ship entering the Earth's atmosphere. Red letters flashed across the screen.

"WARNING: COLLISSION IMINENT." Washu groaned.

"Great, better chock this up to Mihoshi and Kiyone's score. Wait a minute" Washu took a closer look at the ship. "That's not their ship. Wonder who it could be. Well, better form a welcoming party." Washu snickered as she headed for the exit.

Outside, Ayeka sat in the grass at the edge of the lake, staring up at the clouds.

"Ah, what a beautiful summer day. So full of life." Ayeka sighed. "Things have been rather quiet lately. I suppose I should be grateful for that." She lay down on her back and soaked in the sun's rays for a few moments. "I should have brought Tenchi out here with me, and then it would be perfect. I think I'll do that right now." Ayeka got up and was about to head back when she heard a whistling sound from above.

"What in the world?" She looked up at the sky to see a red ball of fire hurtling towards her. Ayeka screamed and ran for cover.

In the Masaki house, everyone had finished breakfast and was about to sit down when Washu burst into the room.

"Everyone, stop what you're doing and come with me!" Washu grabbed Tenchi and Sasami and dragged them outside. Ryoko and Grandfather followed the mad scientist.

"Hey, just what is going on?" Tenchi asked as he was led towards the lake.

"And why do you have to drag Tenchi around?" Ryoko pulled Tenchi away and frowned at Washu. Washu turned her head around to the others.

"Oh you'll see." They followed Washu to a spot at the edge of the lake and waited.

"Washu, what are we waiting for?" Sasami asked impatiently. Seconds later, they heard Ayeka screaming and saw her running towards them. The princess took cover behind Tenchi.

"Well that was fun. Now let's-" Ryoko was about to walk back when she was cut off by Washu.

"Look! Up there." Washu pointed at the red ball of fire falling from the sky. They all gazed in awe as it came closer. The outline and features of a ship were seen. In mere moments, the ship hit the lake and slid across its surface. In the ship's wake was a trail of steam, created by the contact of the water and the heated metal. The ship slowed down and soon hit land, grinding over the dirt. It then hit the edge of the forest before finally halting. Tenchi and his family ran over to the ship to see what it was.

"Well, it's not Kiyone and Mihoshi this time." Ryoko commented. Tenchi took a few steps forward.

"Washu, what kind of ship is this?" Tenchi asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. I haven't seen a design like this in a while. It almost looks aquatic." Washu said as she observed the space ship. "Looks pretty banged up."

A hiss of air came from the ship. Everyone stepped back to see a hatch in the side opening. It slid open, and out from it poured several hundred gallons of dark, polluted water. Footsteps could be heard coming from inside, splashing every pace. It was too dark too see what was coming. Then, a hand appeared from the darkness, grasping the outside of the ship. It was light blue, and covered in scales. On the tips of the fingers were sharp, blue nails.

Sasami grabbed her sister's hand in fright. "W-What is it Ayeka?" Ayeka was silent as she watched the arm attached to the hand emerge. It was blue and scaly, just like the hand. On the elbow was a fin, made up of long bony rays, like those of a fish.

"I, I don't know." Ayeka responded. Ryoko readied her energy sword and placed herself in front of the group as the rest of the creature came into the light. It resembled a young man, but he was had the features of a fish. The pale green scales on his bare chest reflected in the sun. From head to toe he was covered in scales, light blue in most places, but pale green in some spots. The only clothing he wore was a pair of dark shorts with a silver crescent moon symbol plastered on one of the legs. Dark blue splotches dotted his back and shoulders.

The alien lifted his head and stared at the humans with bright, reflective eyes. They were almost completely gold, save for the dark pupils in the middle. Wet bangs fell over his face. His hair was a bright green, the color of sea weed. The alien had pointy ears that resembled fins. On each of his bare legs were large fins located behind the knees. His toes were webbed, and had sharp nails like his fingers.

The alien stared back at the humans for a few moments. On his ribs were gills that opened and closed with each breath that he made. The alien suddenly coughed and fell to the ground. He squirmed and tried to get back up. The humans stared at the alien as he writhed on the ground before Sasami worked up the courage to approach him.

"Hey, be careful Sasami." Ryoko warned the princess. Sasami slowly stretched her arm out and touched the scaled alien on the shoulder.

"Hey, are you ok?" The alien grabbed Sasami's wrist and got up on one knee. Ryoko steadied her weapon and Tenchi and Ayeka prepared for an attack. The alien turned his head up and looked at Sasami with his gold eyes. He gasped for breath, and in a dry, raspy voice, he spoke.

"I…need…water…" He moaned and managed to stand up. His eyes locked on to the lake. Immediately he tried to run towards it, but he was too sluggish and tripped, landing on his side. The alien growled and vainly scrambled over the ground.

"Come on, we've got to help him." Tenchi said as he ran over to the alien and helped him up. Tenchi had a hard time getting a grip, the alien felt just like a fish. Washu quickly followed Tenchi and began helping him. She turned her head back to look at Ryoko and Ayeka.

"Don't just stand there, give us a hand! This guy is heavy." Both nodded and ran over to the distressed man. Ryoko was hesitant at first, but decided it couldn't hurt. With their effort they were able to bring the alien to the lake. He dragged himself into the water and submerged himself. He breathed the fresh water in deeply, letting it pass over his gills as he exhaled. The alien slowly swam to the top and floated on his back.

"Washu, what is that thing? Some kind of fish man?" Ryoko asked as she observed the alien.

"Looks like it. I've never seen a specimen like this before." Grandfather walked over to the group and took a closer look at the fish alien.

"Very peculiar. It seems as though we'll be having a guest tonight. Sasami, be sure to cook for one more."

Sasami could only gaze with fascination at the merman as he floated closer to the shore. Ayeka was not sure what to make of him.

"Well, we should all try to be polite to him."

"I just hope he doesn't stink up the place." Ryoko said dryly.

"Ryoko, try to be nice, he's just survived a crash." Tenchi said to her. But, the aquatic alien couldn't hear a word any of them were saying. All he could think about was how relieving it was to be alive. He soon gave in to fatigue a drifted to sleep.


	2. New World

**Chapter 2: New World**

He slowly came back to consciousness and felt himself floating in cool water. He opened his eyes to find himself in a tank. There were several nodes attached to his skin, connected to wires which linked to a machine outside the tank.

"Ah, he's awake." He turned his head to see a short, read headed woman walk towards the tank. "Almost didn't survive. You're lucky you have the great scientist Washu to patch you up." The merman pressed his face against the glass and peered outside. He could see all the other people from before standing around and staring back. The small one with blue hair came closer and pressed her face against the glass. They stared eye to eye for a moment before the merman pulled back and addressed the group.

"Where am I? What planet is this?"

"You're on Earth, of course." Tenchi replied. "We brought you from the lake to Washu's lab. It was the only place we could treat your wounds." The alien pondered this for a moment.

"So, who are all you people?" Ayeka stepped forward and cleared her throat.

"I am Princess Ayeka of Jurai. This is my little sister Princess Sasami," Sasami giggled and waved. "The great scientist Washu," Washu smirked when she heard her name. "Tenchi Masaki and his grandfather Katsuhito," Tenchi and his grandfather both nodded to the visitor. "And this is Ry-"

"I'm Ryoko, and just who are you?" Ryoko eyed the alien suspiciously.

"My name is Kai. Thanks for the help."

"Nice to meet you Kai." Tenchi said to him. Ryo-Ohki jumped onto Tenchi's shoulder and meowed at Kai.

"What is that thing? Some kind of rabbit?" Tenchi scratched behind Ryo-Ohki's large ears and handed her to Sasami.

"No silly, it's just Ryo-Ohki saying hello." Sasami rubbed Ryo-Ohki's chin.

"And just what in the world are you? Some kind of merman?" Ryoko asked.

"I'm not a merman, whatever that is. I'm an Ulua." Kai responded. "And you guys are humans, right? I didn't think any lived way out here." Washu walked up to the tank and examined Kai closely.

"Oh, so that's what you are. I remember. The Ulua are aquatic beings who live on a planet called Maranis. It's almost completely covered by water The Ulua can breath air, but they need moisture to stay alive." Kai cocked an eyebrow at Washu.

"Yeah, that's right. You seem to know a lot." Washu grinned at Kai.

"That's because I'm the greatest genius in the universe. Now, I've never studied an Ulua up close. I'll have to run a few tests." Kai cringed.

"Hey, I don't want to be a science fair project." Washu frowned at Kai.

"Well, if I can't run any experiments, I'll just have to keep you as my pet fishy!" Washu giggled and Kai eyed her coldly. He clutched his stomach as it growled.

"Hey, got any eats? I haven't had anything in a while."

"I'll go make something for you Mr. Kai." Sasami took Ryo-Ohki and left the lab. Kai took a better look at his surroundings. The tank he was floating in was quite small. There was no room for much mobility.

"Can I get a different tank? This one's too cramped."

"No problem my little fishy. You seem recovered, so I guess you can swim around in the aquarium. Just follow me." Washu pressed a button on the side of the tank and its top slid open. Kai removed the nodes from his body and pulled himself out of the tank. Droplets of water fell from his scales and made a pool on the cold floor. Washu guided Kai and the others to the aquarium. Kai gazed at the enormous sea monsters which inhabited it.

"If it's not too much to ask, I don't want any roommates that will eat me."

"Oh relax, you can have this one." Washu pointed to a smaller tank off to the right. It was the size of a large bedroom and had an open top. In it were several small fish and at the bottom was a thick layer of sand. Kai smiled and climbed a ladder to the top. He jumped in and let himself adjust to the water.

"So, tell us, Mr. Kai. How was your ship damaged so badly?" Ayeka asked.

"Oh well, I was attacked." Kai answered. "See, I was on my way to Maranis when some pirates ambushed me. I couldn't hold them off, so I had to escape. I jumped to light speed and wound up on the other side of the galaxy, and then I crashed here." Ryoko raised her eyebrow at the mention of pirates. She was about to say something when Sasami walked in holding a sandwich on a plate.

"Here Mr. Kai, I hope you like tuna." Kai leaned over the edge of the tank and grabbed the plate from Sasami's. He took a bite and smiled in satisfaction.

"Tastes good." Kai held on to the tank's edge and continued to munch on the tuna sandwich. "So what about my ship?"

"I moved it to another part of the lab," Washu responded. "But it's a total mess. I doubt you'll be flying it for a while."

"Well, I'm not in a hurry to get back or anything." Kai finished the last of the sandwich and climbed back out of the tank. "Do you guys mind if I stay here for a while?" Everyone looked at each other and thought for a moment, until Grandfather broke the silence.

"Of course you can. We're always willing to give hospitality to those who need it." He smiled warmly at Kai, who returned with his own grin, exposing his pointy white teeth. "Tenchi, why don't you and the girls give this young man a tour of the house?"

"Ok grandpa. Right this way Kai." Tenchi led Kai to the exit of the lab, followed by Grandfather, Ayeka and Sasami. Ryoko stayed behind for a moment and Washu turned her attention towards her.

"Something troubling you?" The red head asked her daughter. Ryoko crossed her arms and stared intently at the Ulua as he walked away.

"There's something fishy about that guy, and I'm not talking about the fins." She and Washu began catching up with the group, but stayed near the back. "I don't buy his whole 'attacked by pirates' story. He's hiding something." Washu nodded in agreement.

"I did some analyzing when he was knocked out. He has some high conductivity levels. Several cell samples were shown to produce several volts of electricity."

"What does all that mean?" Ryoko whispered.

"It means his whole body is like a battery. There's enough juice in him to power a space station. Almost as powerful as you, I might add." Ryoko gave Washu a dirty and kept silent. The first room of the tour was the living room.

"Here's the living room, where we hang out, watch TV and do other stuff." Tenchi said. Kai examined the sofa and sat down on it.

"Hey, watch where you sit, you're getting the couch all soggy!" Ayeka shouted.

"Ayeka, be nice! He's our guest, and besides, he's used to being wet." Sasami said to her sister. Kai wasn't paying attention to them and picked up the TV's remote. He turned it on and surfed through the channels.

"Huh, TV is pretty much the same here. You've got sports, soap operas, cartoons." Kai turned off the TV and stood up. "So what else is there?" Tenchi led Kai upstairs to where the bedrooms were.

"This is where the bedrooms are. I'm afraid there aren't any rooms left, what with so many of us already living here."

"Don't sweat it Tenchi. I can just sleep in the tank in the lab. The wetter, the better."

"Oh, then you'll like the bathhouse!" Sasami said, taking Kai's hand and leading him downstairs.

"If we're lucky, the heat will cook him and we can have fish for dinner." Ryoko commented off-handedly. Washu reached up and slapped Ryoko on the back of the head as she walked by. Ryoko growled at Washu and followed the group. Minutes later, they were standing in the midst of the large, steamy bath house Washu had built.

"Whoa, this is impressive." Kai said as he stepped into the water. He sank down until the water reached his neck. Kai raised an eyebrow and began swimming around the hot water. The others all gave him puzzled looks.

"Um, what are you doing?" Ayeka asked. Kai stopped and stood up.

"This water is so shallow." Kai moved to the edge and got out of the water. "There's hardly any room to swim around in. That's no fun." Sasami giggled at Kai.

"You aren't supposed to swim around in it silly. You're just supposed to sit and relax and wash yourself off."

"Oh, now I get it. You should have mentioned that earlier." There was a high pitched whistling followed by the sound of a large splash. Kai was startled and looked left and right. "What was that?"

"It seems Mihoshi and Kiyone are back." Washu said as she walked back towards the exit. "Come on, we need to introduce them to you."

The pair of Galaxy Police officers entered through the front door, removing their shoes. Mihoshi appeared as perky as usual, and Kiyone was obviously stressed out after a long day at work.

"Well, I'd say that was a good day, wouldn't you?" Mihoshi asked her partner. Both of them made their way to the living room.

"Chasing some stupid robber halfway across the system, filling out mountains of paper work, and you spilling hot coffee all over me? Yeah, it's been swell." Kiyone replied sarcastically. She and Kiyone both plopped down on the couch. "At least we're here in time for dinner." Just as she said this, Tenchi and the rest of the group entered the room. Mihoshi waved hello to them.

"Hey guys! How's your day bee- huh?" Mihoshi stopped when she noticed the blue, scaly visitor. "W-Who's that?" Mihoshi pointed at Kai nervously. Kiyone noticed him as well and raised an eye brow. Tenchi was the one to speak up.

"Guys, this is Kai. His ship crashed here this morning. He's what you'd call an Ulua." Mihoshi stood up and took a closer look at Kai, noting all of his features. She poked his shoulders and tugged at his fins, which Kai did not mind too much. Mihoshi smiled and grabbed his hand.

"Welcome to Earth Mr. Kai. My Name is Mihoshi Kuramitsu!" Mihoshi shook his hand roughly.

"Uh yeah, it's nice to meet you." Kai said bashfully. He had never met someone so cheerful.

"So, do you like sea food?" Mihoshi asked. Her reply was a light bonk in the head from Kiyone.

"Mihoshi, that's a rude thing to ask." Mihoshi just giggled. She knew Kiyone didn't mean any harm. Kiyone turned her attention to the new comer. "Don't mind her. I'm Kiyone Makibi. Mihoshi and I are both Galaxy Police officers stationed here."

"Well, it's a pleasure meeting you." Kai shook Kiyone's hand, as that seemed to be the customary greeting on this planet. "Tenchi, do you really live with this many people?"

"Yeah, weird isn't it?" Tenchi laughed and scratched his head. His stomach made a growling noise and he clutched it. "I guess with everything going on we forgot to eat lunch."

"Let's have dinner then. We can get to know our guest and he can get to know us." Katsuhito said.

"I'll go make something special." Sasami and Ryo-Ohki headed off to the kitchen. A while later, everyone was seated around and waiting to be served. Kai sat between Washu and Mihoshi, who sat next to Kiyone. Across from him was Tenchi, who was stuck between Ayeka and Ryoko. Katsuhito sat at the end of the table.

Sasami came out of the kitchen and placed a plate of sashimi and a small bowl of ramen in front of each of the diners before taking a seat next to her sister. Ayeka leaned towards Sasami and whispered into her ear.

"Is sashimi a good idea? I mean, it is fish after all."

"Sorry Ayeka, there wasn't much else to make." Sasami whispered back. Ryoko licked her lips and picked up her chop sticks.

"Looks good Sasami. Now let's dig in." Ryoko began to shovel the food into her mouth and Ayeka groaned in disgust.

"Ryoko, you could at least use some manners when we have a guest." Everyone had begun eating, except for Kai. He slowly picked up his chop sticks and tried to mimic everyone else, but they would always slip out of his hands. Washu soon noticed the trouble he was having.

"Here, let me show you." Washu placed the chop sticks in his hand and guided it with her own. "See, you just put your thumb there and press down with that finger, like that." Washu helped Kai pick up a piece of sashimi and place it in his mouth. Soon Kai had the hang of it and was eating like everyone else.

"I've never eaten like this before." He said as he slurped some ramen.

"How do you eat on your planet?" Mihoshi asked before sipping some tea.

"Well we usually just use our hands. We don't really have to prepare our food like this." Kai ate a few more pieces of raw fish. "So how did all of you guys end up together?"

"It's all been a big coincidence, you could say." Kiyone responded. "We were all just drawn here one after the other."

"Tenchi and I were destined to be together, no coincidence there." Ryoko leaned in close to Tenchi and put and arm around him. Ayeka growled at the space pirate and grabbed Tenchi, pulling him closer to her.

"The only one Tenchi is destined to be with is me." Ryoko stuck her tongue out and pulled Tenchi back. He groaned as the two girls played tug of war with him. Kai just laughed at the poor boy's situation.

Throughout the rest of the meal, Kai learned all about the adventures of Tenchi and his extended family. He would have never imagined that such marvels that they had seen could exist.

"Wow, that all sounds amazing. Giant living spaceships, space pirates and bounty hunters, I'm almost jealous." Kai had cleaned his plate and was drinking the rest of his tea.

"Why don't you tell us about yourself?" Kiyone suggested. Kai almost spit his drink back out.

"Oh, uh, well, on my planet I was what you could call a warrior. I fought and defended where it was needed." He slowly drained his cup and placed it on the table. "Not as exciting as it sounds. I just had to stop a few disputes here and there, nothing major." Ryoko gave Kai a suspicious glance, but decided against digging any further. She'd find out the Ulua's secrets soon enough.

The front door opened and Tenchi's father Nobuyuki stepped in, looking worn out.

"Hello. Sorry for being home so late. I had to finish some house plans by tonight and I was running behind." Nobuyuki entered the kitchen and came back out a moment later with a bowl of some of the left over ramen. He sat down at the table and began eating. He didn't even seem to notice the alien sitting across from him. Tenchi cleared his throat and addressed his father.

"Uh, dad, this is Kai. His ship crashed here this morning." Tenchi motioned to Kai, who gave Nobuyuki a small wave. "Kai, this is my dad Nobuyuki." Nobuyuki stared at Kai for a moment.

"Oh, well, welcome to the Masaki home." Nobuyuki leaned towards Tenchi "You know, it would have been better if you had brought home another girl." Tenchi just groaned and went to go put his empty plate in the sink.

Kai yawned and stood up. "I think I'm going to go back to the tank. I'm still worn out from the crash and I'm feeling a little dehydrated. That was some good stuff Sasami." Sasami smiled at him and began clearing the table. Everyone else had finished and went off to do their usual evening activities. Washu walked over to Kai and nudged him in the shoulder.

"Why don't you let me escort you back? You could get lost in my lab if you're not careful." Kai nodded and both of them entered the doorway under the stairs. Washu led him to the aquarium and to the tank that had become his room. Kai climbed to the top and dove in. He swam to the bottom and began building a small bed of sand that he could lay in.

"Oh, Kai, could I ask you to do a small favor?" Washu asked innocently. Kai raised an eyebrow and gave her a curious look.

"What kind of favor?"

"Could I _please_ run some tests on you?" Washu gave him her most innocent look. Her eyes became large and pleading. "I know you said you didn't want me to, but you're the only Ulua I can study."

"Alright, alright." Kai answered. "Just nothing too painful, ok Washu? I'd like to keep all my organs intact." Washu grinned and hopped up and down with glee. Kai was about to lay his head down when Washu spoke up again.

"Kai, you do me one more tiny little thing for me?"

"Ok, sure, what?"

"Could you call me Little Washu? Pretty please?" Washu asked in her sweetest voice. Kai gave her a weird look.

"Whatever you say, Little Washu." Washu giggled uncontrollably as Kai laid his head down to rest.

"I'll see you in the morning. Sleep tight my cute little fishy." Washu turned off the lights and exited the area to go work in another part of the lab. Kai closed his gold eyes and drifted into sub consciousness. What were the chances that he'd meet a group of people as crazy as this?

Next Chapter: Kai participates in several experiments set by Washu to test his abilities, and one of his secrets is revealed.


End file.
